The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-08-12
Death Caused by Ether.
NJ. REESE DILL EXPIRES ON THE opERAr-
ING TABLE.

Milville Reese Dill, prominen
business man of Somerset county, an,
brother of United States Marshal, An
drus II. Dill, died at the Bingham
House, Philapelphia late Wendesda,
afternoon of last week. He had oom
to the city on Tuesday from his hom'
at Meyersdale, Somerset county to un
dergo an operation by DR.. d. Hay
Agnew for the removal of hemorrhoid
from which he had suffered for severa
years. Mr.. Dill had been treated b,
DIR. Agnew year ago for fissure. Al
operation was performed and thu
patient experienced no bad effect from
the ether which was administered.
DIR. Agnew had made an appoint
ment with Mr.. Dill for two o'clock OF
Wednesday afternoon, and went to thu
hotel at the time agreed upon, accom-
panied by DR.. ]. William White, who
has been his surgical assistant for many
years. They commenced work about
half an hour later. The patient wa,
laid upon table in his room and DIR
White administered the anesthetic
The ether used was known as "Squibbs'
and Is considered the purest and besl
that is made. It was administered in
the usual way from towel folded in
the shape Of cone. In few mo-
ments Mr.. Dill became unconscious
and DIR. Agnew began the operation
After the first hemorrhoid had been
tied and while the second was being
operated upon respiration suddenly
ceased. Both physicians at once turn
ed their attention to restoring the
patient. Artificial respiration was en-
ployed, electricity was used, the body
was fagellated with wet towels and all
the usual methods to resuscitate were
used. While the patient had ceased
to breathe the heart continued to beat
and the physicians worked untirlngly
until all hope was gone.
DR.. Agnew said that in his ex-
perience of forty years as physician
and surgeon be had administered ether
in thousands of cases and never had an
accident before. He considered ether
the best and safest anesthetic known
and said that the patients sudden death
was something that no human fore
sight or care could have avoided. DR..
White was much distressed over the
affair and stated that this was the first
instance in his practice that the admin
istration of ether had terminated fatally.
Mr.. Dill had been successfully oper-
ated upon by DR.. Agnew one year ago
for fssure. He took ether at that time.
His sufferings for some months had
imperatively demanded an operation /;
there was no other way of relieving
him. The operation was impossible
without an anesthetic the safest known
anesthetic was selected and was given
in unusually moderate quantity, less
than six ounces having been admins
tered altogether. 1t was given in the
usual way and one which has been en-
ployed by DIR. Agnew and DR.. White
in hundreds of cases for many years
without an accident of any kind. The
etherization was sufficiently complete
10 from ten to fifteen minutes to admit
of his being placed in the proper posi-
tion., and the operation was begun.
Within few minutes he suddenly
ceased breathing, having been breath
ing freely a moment before. He was
at once turned on his back, his tongue
brought forward, his throat explored
for possible obstruction, movements of
artificial respiration begun, fagellation
and cold wet towels employed, upward
| friction of the limbs used, electricity
applied and the usual methods of re-
suscitation put into operation, but
without effect. Although his heart
continued to beat for thirty or forty
minutes it was impossible to bring
about the natural movements of breath
ing, although efforts at resuscitation
were kept up unremittingly for an
hour, or for some time after the heart
ceased to beat 1t is evident in this
case that death was not from heart
failure. The proportion of deaths thai
occur during etherization is variously
estimated from / in 1850 to in 20,-
900 cases, the actual average probably
lying between the two, and have hap.
pened in the practice of the most
distinguished surgeons of all countries,
although this was the first instance of
the kind in the experience of DIR. Ag-
new or DIR. White.
Colonel L. j. Crimson, prominent
candidate for the Republican nomina-
ton for State Treasurer, and an intl
mate personal friend of Marshal Dill
and his brother, was in the room dur
ing the operation. Marshal Dill re-
mained in the Office of the hotel await
ing with some anxiety, but with no
thought of danger, the result of the
operation. AS soon as his brother be-
gan to sink he was summoned. He
was terribly shocked and distressed,
and had hardly recovered his compos-
ure when he left the city yesterday
morning with his brothers body ac-
companied by Colonel Grimeson. He
blamed the surgeons, and DR.. Agnew
said that he had received severe letter
from Marshal Dill, which under the
circumstances, he did not attach any
Importance to. 1t is only few weeks
since Marshal Dill's father, an eminent
Methodist clergyman, died and the
sons were much distressed by that
event.
| Coroner Ashbridge was not notified
| of the death of Mr.. Dill until Thursday
afternoon. DIR, White called at the Of
fee and stated that DR.. Agnew had
granted the certificate of death under
the apprehension that as the deceased
had been under their care at the time
of his death Coroner's inquest would
not be required. The Coroner said
that as the death was not due to nat
ural causes it was a case that should be
investigated by his Office. Mr.. Ash
bridge wrote letter 10 Marshal Dill
in which he stated that while he deep
| ly sympaLhized with him in his afllict-
ion he was compelled to order a post
mortem examination, and DIR. Formal
was dispatched to Lewisburg on the
midnight train to make the autopsy.
| Melville Reese Dill was 40 years of
age and leaves a wife and two child
rem. For many years he managed
large business interests in Union
| onu,t, anl - lota hoe Iaon o,-n.o1